USA Handed 2018 SheBelieves Cup Title Via Own Goal vs. England

It was winner-take-all Wednesday night when the United States and England met in the 2018 SheBelieves Cup finale in Orlando, and the USWNT took home the trophy.

Both squads entered the final game tied atop the tournament leaderboard at 1-0-1. With England holding the edge in goal differential, the United States needed a victory to win its second SheBelieves Cup, having won the inaugural event back in 2016. A win or draw would give England its first title after a pair of third-place finishes.

Here's a look at the starting lineups the teams trotted out:

It was all United States in the first half, although the U.S. ladies had nothing to show for it heading into the locker room. The USWNT held a 62-38 edge in possession, with a few good runs early in the first half. Neither team had many quality looks early on, but Team USA turned on the pressure just before the break.

In the 43rd minute, the Americans had a dangerous cross from Megan Rapinoe that England keeper Karen Bardsley got poked away before it could get through to Carli Lloyd or Mallory Pugh:

Moments later, Alex Morgan—who plays for the hometown Orlando Pride—was involved in a collision in the box, and the no-call did not sit well with the crowd. Perhaps the best scoring chance of the first half came from the 19-year-old Pugh, who worked to create an opening at the top of the box but just missed the net in the 45th minute.

Pugh didn't skip a beat coming out of the break, creating a strong chance in the opening minutes of the second half:

The United States finally broke through in the 58th minute...with some help from England:

It may have been a lucky goal, but that's what happens when a team puts nonstop pressure on its opposition, as longtime USWNT defender Becky Sauerbrunn noted:

The United States dominated possession and had numerous opportunities during the middle of the match. Eventually, it was rewarded.

England went into attack mode following the own goal, with a header that went off the post in the final minutes which nearly tied things up.

Thanks to a strong defense highlighted by Crystal Dunn, the United States prevented the Lionesses from equalizing. 

In the end, a 1-0 final was enough for the USWNT to reclaim the SheBelieves Cup.

Final SheBelieves Cup standings:

1. United States (2-0-1) 7 points

2. England (1-1-1) 4 points

3. France (1-1-1) 4 points

4. Germany (0-2-1) 1 point

After finishing last in the tournament last year, the United States responded with a statement this time around. Knocking off the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the world in a span of three games after a development year signals the USWNT is making strides.

Winning the 2018 SheBelieves Cup gets the year off on the right note as Team USA prepares for 2019 World Cup qualifying.